Federal Grant to Create Nearly 420 Tornado Recovery Jobs in Mississippi

May 19, 2014

The U.S. Labor Department is sending up to $5.6 million to Mississippi to pay for unemployed people to help with recovery and cleanup from the April 28 tornadoes.

Homes are left as debris after a tornado struck the town of Louisville on April 28. Bill Kopitz/FEMA
Homes are left as debris after a tornado struck the town of Louisville on April 28. Bill Kopitz/FEMA

The money, being sent to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, could create as many as 420 temporary jobs.

The federal government said Friday that it has released $1.87 million initially, and will send additional money as the state shows that it needs assistance.

Workers who lost their jobs because of the storm, as well as long-term unemployed workers and others, are eligible. Labor Department spokesman Jason Kuruvilla says jobs could last from several months up to a year.

The grant comes from a discretionary fund controlled by U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, and was awarded based on Mississippi meeting specific guidelines.

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